Carrying means



Dec. 11, 1951 PIKER 2,578,089

CARRYING MEANS I Filed March 10, 1947 g- INVENTOR.

HERBERT MPJXEB ec nv' nt he d fi u tie' he pri r 911-.

Patented Dec. 11, 1951 BATE-NT orncs asvaosg clmnrmo MEANS H r M- Bi er Ha n; O o,v ass n r 'The" am lton Metal emanate-comp ny;

s tamnmh 1,0, 194,7, Serial No. 133,692

T w ie re ate to n rqrsme t in s mea s for beats an ar icu ar 111 0.1 or imeh k ts- Carrying means or handles for lunch boxes are. P r n new bu he an les or carr i mean a ha w q e mam/awe ith e ensir in p du t r u b some 1 e ns han le or a ryin m ans O he Pr en n trf- .tion is an improvement on applicants prior. Patent 2,314,799 which ns'ueaenunar h 23, 1943. In the prior patent difficulty wasex'perieileed in properly securing the handle or carrying means clip to the boxproper inerder' to have an absolutely secure attachment. By the pres? erection e r om The principalobject, therefore, is the provision of a carrying' neans or handle f-orboxes such as lunch boxes orlunch kits'wherein the handleis'adequately secured'to the box itself. Another object of the present invention is'the provision of a handle orcarrying means which will collapse onto the ups? Surface of thebo'x when not in use for transporting the said box but'which can be readily raised to permit the hand 'or fingers to encirclethe said handleor carrying means. still further object of the present inventi I the'provision of a handleor carrying rneansf r use, particularly, with lunch boxes or lunchiliits 9 wherein a so called vacuum bottle is mounted in the lid or cover 'of the lunchbox and wherein the means that 'permit'of the collapsing of t e h ndie are not interfered with by the saidvac' 1 b l r i i Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by re "1 ,eiice to the following specification considered n conjunction with the accompanying' drawings forming a part thereof and it is to be understood that any modifications may be madein the exact Structural details there shown and described}, Within the scope of the appended claim-'sfwithout departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

' -In-the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective View of a lunch box or lunch kit having mounted thereon the improved carrying means or handle of the present invens tion.

Eig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the lunch box or lunch kit as illustrated in-Fig; 1. and as seen from line2--2 on said Fig. 1.

F 3 i a r en ary p p an View ofqthe boxof Fig. 1 showing in plan the improved carry-,1

means .o handle .o th ultesentmventicm 5 Claims; (0!. #5

Big. 4-, is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view" through the handle or carrying means as illustrated in Fig. 3and seen from line 4 4. on sai fig .7 l.

'Eig'fe is a transverse sectional view through thehandl e or carrying means of the present in: enom" taken at right angles to that of Fig. '4

seen from line 55 on said Fig.4. Fig.3 is a View similar'to Fig. 5 taken on the plane of Big. 2 but showing the position of the parts when the vacuinnbottle is not used in the lllnch box or lunch kit.

Fig/7 is a fragmentary elevational view of the handle or carrying means of the present inven: tion in a raised position aswhen the lunchbox or'liunfch kit is being transported.

Big. 8 is a perspective view of the handle illus; trated from the under side thereof."

' Throughout the several views of the drawings similar reference characters are employed t9 denote the same or similar parts. wasfno'tcd above this invention pertains to a carrying means 01 handle for boxes and. particularly for lunch boxes or lunch kits although the invention is not necessarily limited in its use to the said lunch box or lunch kit.

"Specifically, and as illustrated in the draw.- ings, the lunch box or lunch kit comprises a b x proper '19 disposed on the upper end of which israfcover H. The'cover H and box proper [0 are cpnnected to one another along their rear meet: ing edge by a hinge pin l2 whereby the ccverrnay behingedly opened, or closed. The cover I l is retained its closed position by a spring latch w ch"comfprisesa spring arm i3 having secured to ts lower end a locking lug i4 and which spring arm l3 carries intermediate its end a finger piece or actuating piece I5 whereby the latching lug is removedfrom the cooperating latching open i s l6 inthe fro nt wall 11 ofthe box it.

The box'has mounted therein a supporting frame [8Which conveniently'has its rear end I9 "hingedly connected to the box back wall 20 and which'frame has its other end supported as atZl on the upper end of the box front I]. The frame 18 forms in efiect a cradle for supporting avacuum bottle 22 and which frame l8 conveniently supports the vacuum bottle 22 so as to lie within the cover ll. As will be seen in Fig. 2 the upper. end of the vacuum bottle 22 is closely @djace'ntito the top 23 of the lid or cover I I Mounted on the top 23 of the lid or cover H is. the an r ca n mean of t resen in en i n whi h, is indicated in ts e ti e by the reference numeral 24. The said handle or carrxinameens .4. .i ouite similar t t at i lus- 3 trated in the applicants above mentioned patent and is formed from a single piece of sheet metal to provide a body portion 25 which is arcuately shaped in longitudinal cross section and has the ends of the body portion 25 turned downwardly as at 25 and 2''. Depending from the longitudinal edges of the body portion 25 are sides 28 and 29 with said sides having their intermediate portion turned inwardly to be parallel with the handle or carrying means body portion 25 and which inturned sides are indicated by the reference numerals 33 and 3|. The portions of the handle sides 28 and 29 at the ends thereof are not inwardly bent and constitute feet or supporting flanges as at 32, 33, 34 and 35. It is these feet 32 to 35 inclusive that supports the handle on the lid or cover top 23 to provide a small space 36 between the handle or carrying means proper and the box top 23 to' permit the insertion of the finger tips when it is desired to carry or transport the lunch box.

The handle feet or supporting flanges 32 and 34, at one end of the said handle, are each provided with an elongated aperture 35 and 31 which are in alignment with one another and extend at an upward and inward angle. The handle feet or supporting flanges 33 and 35, at the other end of the handle, are likewise each provided with an elongated aperture 38 and 39 in alignment with one another and which apertures 38 and 39 extend at an upward inward angle. The aligned apertures are utilized for receiving the links which attach the handle or carrying means to the cover.

The attaching links 43 and 4! are identical with one another and it is deemed sufficient if but one of them be described in detail. Accordingly, and as illustrated in Fig. the link 4| is formed of a single length of wire and is substantially U-shaped in elevation comprising a base portion 42 from the ends of which extend arms 43 and 44 with said arms having their free ends bent toward one another as at 45 and 46.

In order to assemble the handle or carrying means with the cover It the said cover has its top 23 pierced to provide elongated apertures 41 and 48, respectively, for the link arms 43 and 44. It should be noted that the apertures 47 and 48 extend in the axial direction of the cover H while the apertures 35 to 39, inclusive, in the handle feet 32 to 35 inclusive extend at an upward and inward angle as clearly illustrated in the drawings.

In order to connect the handle or carrying means 24 to the lid or cover H the links 40 and 4| are first formed to have a truly U-shape whereupon they are mounted in the handle apertures at their respective ends of the handle proper. The arms 43 and 44 are then each inserted through its lid or cover aperture 4'! and 48 whereupon the ends of the arms are bent as at 45 and 46 to thereby prohibit the withdrawal of the links from the cover H. In the past the arms inturned portions 45 and 46 where quite short since, as illustrated in the applicants above mentioned patent, the said arms were inserted into sockets formed in the cover top and the said sockets, along with the necessary size of the wire from which the links are made, limit the amount that they could be sprung in order that they could be inserted in the said sockets and this resulted in a construction having a weakness, that sometimes permitted the disassociation of the handle and box.

By the present invention the links 40 and 4| may assume either of two positions when the handle is in the collapsed position as illustrated in Fig. 4. In other words, if the lunch box or kit has mounted therein its vacuum bottle 22 the inturned ends 45 and 45of the links upon engagement therewith will cause the base 42 to move upwardly in the angular apertures 35 to 39 of the handle while if the vacuum bottle 22 is not in position the said links will remain at the outer or lower ends of the apertures 36 to 39 inclusive and will depend vertically within the cover H and which position of said links 40 and 4| is illustrated in phantom lines in Fig. 4 and indicated by the reference numerals 49 and 53. This construction permits of an easier operation of the collapsing the handle 24 and at the same time of raising the handle from its collapsed position of Fig. 4 to its extended position of Fig. 7.

From the foregoing it will now be appreciated that there has been provided a handle or carrying means for boxes and particularly lunch boxes that accomplishes the objects initially set forth.

What is claimed is:

1. In a device of the class described for boxes having a cover, a carrying means adapted to be extended above the cover when in use and to collapse onto the said cover whennot in use comprising a handle member having a body portion substantially rectangular in plan and having sides and ends, supporting flanges depending from each side of the body portion adjacent each end thereof on which the handle member rests when collapsed onto the cover, links pivotally carried by the body portion flanges and depending therefrom to pass through suitable apertures in the cover to be below the said cover when the handle member is collapsed, and means integral with said links for engagement with the cover to prevent the withdrawal of the links through said cover apertures when the handle member is extended.

2. In a device of the class described for boxes having a cover, a carrying means adapted to collapse onto the cover when not in use and to be extended above the cover when in use comprising a handle member having a body portion substantially rectangular in plan and having sides and ends, supporting flanges depending from each side of the body portion adjacent each end thereof on whichthehandlememberrestswhencollapsedonto the cover, said flanges having elongated apertures extending inwardly and upwardly relative to the axis of the handle member, links disposed in said elongated apertures of said handle flanges to depend therefrom through apertures in cover, said links to be disposed below said cover or moved upwardly of the supportingC flanges elongated apertures when the handle member is collapsed, and means integral with said links for engagement with the cover to prevent the withdrawal of the links through the said cover apertures when the handle member is extended.

3. In a device of the class described for boxes having a cover, a carrying means adapted to be collapsed onto the cover when not in use and to be extended above the cover when in use comprising a handle member having a body portion substantially rectangular in plan and having sides and ends, supporting flanges depending from each side of the body portion adjacent each end thereof supporting the handle member when collapsed onto the cover, each of said flanges having an elongated aperture therein extending upwardly and inwardly with respect to the axis ofthe body member, opposite flanges at the respective ends of the body member having their elongated apertures in alignment with one another, links pivotally mounted in said aligned elongated apertures to depend therefrom through suitable apertures in the cover, said links being adapted to be disposed beneath said cover or moved upwardly of the supporting flanges when the handle member is collapsed, and means integral with said links for engagement with the cover to prevent the withdrawal of the links through the said cover apertures when the handle member is extended.

4. In a device of the class described for boxes having a cover, a carrying means adapted to be collapsed onto the cover when not in use and to be extended above the cover when in use comprising a handle member having a body portion substantially rectangular in plan and having sides and ends, supporting flanges depending from each side of the body portion adjacent each end thereof supporting the handle member when collapsed onto the cover, each of said flanges having an elongated aperture therein extending upwardly and inwardly with respect to the axis of the body member, opposite flanges at their respective ends of the body member having the elongated apertures in alignment with one another, U-shaped links for connecting the handle to the cover with the bases of the links extending through the aligned elongated apertures at the ends of the body portion, arms depending from the ends of said bases of the links through suitable apertures in the cover, said links adapted to have their arms depending below the cover or to have their bases moved upwardly of the aligned elongated apertures when the handle member is collapsed, and means integral with at least one of the arms of each link to prevent the withdrawal of the said arms of the links through the cover apertures when the handle member is extended.

5. In a device of the class described for boxes having a cover, a carrying means adapted to be collapsed onto the cover when not in use and to be extended above the cover when in use comprising a handle member having a body portion substantially rectangular in plan and having sides and ends, supporting flanges depending from each side of the body portion adjacent each end thereof supporting the handle member when collapsed onto the cover, each of said flanges having an elongated aperture therein extending upwardly and inwardly with respect to the axis of the body member, opposite flanges at the re spective ends of the body member having their elongated apertures in alignment with one another, U-shaped links for connecting the handle to the cover with the bases of the links extending through the aligned elongated apertures at the ends of the body portion, arms depending from the ends of said bases of the links through suitable apertures in the cover, said links adapted to have their arms depending below the cover or to have their bases moved upwardly of the aligned elongated apertures when the handle member is collapsed, and said link arms each having its free end upset to provide abutments for engagement with the under surface of the cover to prevent the withdrawal of the said arms of the links through said cover apertures when the handle member is extended.

HERBERT M. PIKER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,958,587 Mitchell et a1 May 15, 1934 2,314,799 Piker Mar. 23, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 331,086 Great Britain June 26, 1930 

